You can shake your head in disbelief and demand some sort of recount, but the fact is indisputable: The Minnesota Timberwolves no longer stink, and if the NBA playoffs were to open today — thankfully, they don’t — they’d be in them.

Yes, the same Timberwolves who were 17-65 last season and 15-67 the year before that.

If there’s a bigger surprise team in the NBA this season, it’s hard to imagine which one it would be — even to the guys turning the heads.

“If you would’ve said this to me last year, that we were going to be in the eighth spot this year, I would have probably told you you were lying,” was how Wes Johnson put it after Minnesota’s latest triumph, a 106-94 win over Portland on Wednesday night that moved the Timberwolves to 21-19 and eighth place in the West.

So, how are they doing it?

Kevin Love has to be in the conversation about the best power forwards in the game — and he’d likely get some most valuable player consideration if voting was held this week — because he’s a good-rebounding, solid-shooting big and a matchup terror for any opponent.

Ricky Rubio may not wrest rookie of the year away from Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving but he’s a brilliant creator who has meshed perfectly with Love and coach Rick Adelman in just over half a season.

The biggest task may be convincing the players themselves that they are capable of continuing this post-season challenge. The Timberwolves have been a non-factor since about two seasons before they dealt away Kevin Garnett, and the habit of losing has sunk in.

General manager David Kahn takes abuse for his drafting and other transactions — no one is going to let him forget taking Jonny Flynn instead of Stephen Curry for a very long time — but Adelman, Love and Rubio have imbued the franchise with a serious dose of confidence.

“We’re talking about the fact that we’re relevant right now,” Adelman told reporters this week. “We’ve made a run here that got us to that position. . . . We can win games and we can stay right there.”

Yes, this has been a wacky season indeed.

TRADE PAU? NEVER: It’s a week out from the trade deadline and while the accompanying chart suggests some names that may move, how about some teams that need to do something.

And we’re not talking exclusively about the teams at the bottom of the playoff table that need to move up. Even the very best teams in the league can use some help, and here are five who should do something:

LAKERS

It may be panic time after back-to-back road losses to league minnows Detroit and Washington. But even if they resist the urge to move Pau Gasol — as they should, since he’s really, really good — they need an upgrade at point guard and maybe small forward.

MIAMI

Yes, they may be the best team in the league today thanks to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but they are not big enough up front and not solid enough at point guard. A tweak here or there might really be necessary.

CHICAGO

Another one out of left field, perhaps, but there are concerns about Rip Hamilton’s health, and therefore concerns about a second scoring threat to help Derrick Rose. The Bulls really need to load up to handle the Heat.

ORLANDO

If, as some suggest, they are ready to roll the dice and hang on to Dwight Howard until free agency, they need to get him some help. There isn’t a true shot creator on that roster, and that’s a huge void.

BOSTON

No, they’re not likely championship contenders, nor are they particularly good right now. But if they can add a piece somehow without disrupting Rajon Rondo and The Big Three, they’re a dangerous playoff team. And a team with one last shot to take.

MISSING LIN: Quick question: Anyone seen Linsanity lately?

It’s probably simply a matter of regression to the mean, but Jeremy Lin — a serviceable, if flawed, NBA point guard — is no longer being touted as an all-star hall of famer. Wonder when the voracious New York media will start clamouring for Baron Davis to start?

WHO’S HOT?

PHOENIX

Sure, it’s all relative, but the Suns have won five of their last 10 and are just three games out of eighth place in the Western Conference. Maybe it’s time to go all-in and shoot for the post-season rather than blow it up.

WHO’S NOT?

INDIANA

The Pacers won six in a row around the all-star break but have dropped two straight and have a weekend back-to-back in Florida against Miami and Orlando. That sound they hear is Atlanta sneaking up on them in the standings.

Nothing But Net is a weekly column looking at issues around the league.

More on thestar.com

We value respectful and thoughtful discussion. Readers are encouraged to flag comments that fail to meet the standards outlined in our
Community Code of Conduct.
For further information, including our legal guidelines, please see our full website
Terms and Conditions.